Television is known to take a good idea and run for the hills with it, which usually, I’m against — there’s no need to have 37 doctor dramas on television at one particular time. But in the case of Star, FOX’s new Lee Daniels-driven musical drama, I’m all for it. I love shows with original music like Nashville and Empire, and I’m hoping that Star will operate in the same vein — talented actors and dancers performing great new songs on television. Since they already have so many similarities, does that mean Star will release a soundtrack like the others that came before it?
Music is the core of Star, as it follows a young singer named Star, played by Jude Demorest, who will do anything to be, well, a star. She leaves the foster system determined to find her sister, Simone (who is also in foster care), so they can follow their dreams. She’s working with Alex, a wealthy singer-songwriter she met on Instagram, and they’re trying to “make it,” or whatever that means. I have a feel that Star’s blind ambition will eventually get the best of her, but that will be seen over the course of the show’s first-season order. Star also features Queen Latifah as a surrogate mother to Star and her band members; Benjamin Bratt as a manager trying to get back on top, and Naomi Campbell with a guest-starring spot as Alex’s mother. Oh, and Lenny Kravitz plays Alex’s father. You can’t fight Star power.
According to the show’s website, Star will feature all original music and performances, so though there has been no official announcement, I'd wager that a soundtrack is eminent. If the show follows the patterns of Nashville and Empire, there could be two volumes of songs per season — usually one in the winter, and one that’s released in the summer. So if Star does well, you can probably expect to be bopping in your car, at your desk, or walking down the streets with the soundtrack playing relatively soon. One of the songs from the pilot, "I Can Be," has a lyric video available on YouTube, which you can watch below.
Based on the track records of Empire and Nashville, Star has a good chance of succeeding, but what about its characters?Miss Carlotta tells Star in the previews that trying to become a famous singer lead to the death of her mother. Star seems to think it’s going to be much easier to break into the big time than it will actually be, and Alex, who is not related to Simone and Star, could bail and say “See ya later!” when the going gets tough.
But whether they make it big or not, they'll surely produce some songs that become hits outside of Star. Hopefully, there will soon be a soundtrack so that fans can listen to them whenever we want.
Images: Annette Brown/FOX (2)
